Category Archives: Prayer

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Writing from the Center In Praise of Mary Oliver and Her Call to Attentiveness We recently convened a gathering at the Monastery to celebrate the life and work of poet, Mary Oliver. She died January 17 at the age of 74, leaving behind a body of work that will sustain generations of readers. As a…

According to Saint Benedict, “The life of a monastic ought to be a continuous Lent.” However, what Benedict presents is life as a continuous Advent. We can confidently stand ready and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.

Desire, Perseverance, Making Our Way Reflections from the Monastic Retreat On a Sunday evening in mid-June, the annual Community Retreat began at St. Paul’s Monastery. The Sisters assembled in their usual places in the glowing Chapel, lit by the summer sky in the clerestory windows, joined by several Oblates, Benedictine Associates, and me. The white…

CONTENT CREDIT: This article first appeared at www.pivotpointministries.org and is reprinted with permission. Transformative Change Letting God Set the Agenda When it comes to the human condition and a desire to change, we can become easily frustrated: we think that we want to change . . . but we really don’t. Paul expresses this contradiction…

Cooling Anger and Warming Sadness When we are intensely angry it becomes hard to see straight. Conversely, the low drag of sadness can leave us with too little energy to pay much attention. So, for the sake of those in the thick of these emotions, we’ll get straight to the point. Recently a circle of people…

Retreat Making Time to Remember Our Belovedness Life’s challenges have a way of growing up all around us. I sometimes picture myself standing in a field surrounded by weeds I cannot see over. I do my best to push them out of the way, look around them, and pretend like they are not there. But,…

While modern Christians do not often practice Sabbath as regularly as our Jewish brothers and sisters, we still need times when we set aside our task lists to remember that we are created in the image of a God who rested after amazing acts of creation. We need times to step outside of our regular work routines and remember that we are “human beings,” not just “human doings.” These times remind us we are beloved just as we are and that God’s love does not depend on us producing or creating or doing anything.

This reflection was written in response to an experience at the Benedictine Center called "Divine Spark: Kindling the Fires of Ministry." A New Story Light from Your presence Sparks my soul The spark and careful tending start a small flame Writing, reflection, good conversation partners, prayer and lectio breathe life into the flame The challenges…

My Day with the Sacred Fire Forever ago, it seems, I financed my way through seminary with a long stint as a custodian at a religious college. I remember one large meeting where I was pushing my trash cart outside the venue while sensing the vibrancy and boisterous energy inside. It was a tough moment—heartbreaking,…